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| Susan Rice: the liberal case against her being secretary of state | Susan Rice: the liberal case against her being secretary of state |
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| It was an attack from the right that toppled Susan Rice's ambition to lead America's foreign policy. But the more the US ambassador to the United Nations was touted as the next secretary of state, the more doubts also crept in from the left. | It was an attack from the right that toppled Susan Rice's ambition to lead America's foreign policy. But the more the US ambassador to the United Nations was touted as the next secretary of state, the more doubts also crept in from the left. |
| Rice has been vigorously defended by those Democrats who feel she was scapegoated for the Obama administration's blunders over the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and targeted by Senator John McCain and other Republicans as a means to get at the president. | Rice has been vigorously defended by those Democrats who feel she was scapegoated for the Obama administration's blunders over the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and targeted by Senator John McCain and other Republicans as a means to get at the president. |
| But the Libya debacle aside, Rice was under increasing scrutiny over her record of militarism, including her support for the invasion of Iraq, her backing of authoritarian African leaders and her description of her post as ambassador to the UN as being intended to provide "unwavering support for Israel". | But the Libya debacle aside, Rice was under increasing scrutiny over her record of militarism, including her support for the invasion of Iraq, her backing of authoritarian African leaders and her description of her post as ambassador to the UN as being intended to provide "unwavering support for Israel". |
| Rice served in Bill Clinton's administration as a national security adviser and an assistant secretary of state for Africa. She was out of office by the time of 9/11 and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But she backed the Bush administration's claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the false pretext for the invasion. | Rice served in Bill Clinton's administration as a national security adviser and an assistant secretary of state for Africa. She was out of office by the time of 9/11 and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But she backed the Bush administration's claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the false pretext for the invasion. |
| "It's clear that Iraq poses a major threat. It's clear that its weapons of mass destruction need to be dealt with forcefully, and that's the path we're on. I think the question becomes whether we can keep the diplomatic balls in the air and not drop any, even as we move forward, as we must, on the military side," she told National Public Radio in December 2002. | "It's clear that Iraq poses a major threat. It's clear that its weapons of mass destruction need to be dealt with forcefully, and that's the path we're on. I think the question becomes whether we can keep the diplomatic balls in the air and not drop any, even as we move forward, as we must, on the military side," she told National Public Radio in December 2002. |
| In other NPR interviews, Rice supported the notion of "regime change" in Iraq, saying it did not require additional UN security council resolutions and reiterated her view that the case was proved that "Iraq has these weapons and is hiding them". | In other NPR interviews, Rice supported the notion of "regime change" in Iraq, saying it did not require additional UN security council resolutions and reiterated her view that the case was proved that "Iraq has these weapons and is hiding them". |
| After Rice was appointed as Obama's ambassador to the UN, she strongly backed military intervention in Libya; she has also pressed for American intervention in Syria. Rice has also said that "there is no daylight" between the US and Israel over Iran's nuclear programme. Her supporters say that merely reflects the White House position. | After Rice was appointed as Obama's ambassador to the UN, she strongly backed military intervention in Libya; she has also pressed for American intervention in Syria. Rice has also said that "there is no daylight" between the US and Israel over Iran's nuclear programme. Her supporters say that merely reflects the White House position. |
| Nonetheless, Rice's vigorous support of Israel, not just at the security council table but in other forums, has raised eyebrows. She has gone to lengths to woo the biggest of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Jewish groups. Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League, told The Forward that he regards Rice as a "gladiator" fighting to defend Israel in hostile atmosphere of the UN. | Nonetheless, Rice's vigorous support of Israel, not just at the security council table but in other forums, has raised eyebrows. She has gone to lengths to woo the biggest of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Jewish groups. Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League, told The Forward that he regards Rice as a "gladiator" fighting to defend Israel in hostile atmosphere of the UN. |
| Hours before Rice withdrew from the race, Robert Wexler, a six-term former congressman who now heads a pro-Israel think tank in Washington, said: "Israel has no greater champion in the current administration than Susan Rice." | Hours before Rice withdrew from the race, Robert Wexler, a six-term former congressman who now heads a pro-Israel think tank in Washington, said: "Israel has no greater champion in the current administration than Susan Rice." |
| That is a view shared by some of Rice's critics, who say she has gone beyond the call of duty in projecting US policy on Israel to become a passionate defender of the Jewish state, calling criticism at the UN "anti-Israel crap", despite Binyamin Netanyahu's policies. | That is a view shared by some of Rice's critics, who say she has gone beyond the call of duty in projecting US policy on Israel to become a passionate defender of the Jewish state, calling criticism at the UN "anti-Israel crap", despite Binyamin Netanyahu's policies. |
| Rice has also come under strong criticism over her positions on Africa, most recently for trying to suppress a UN report that was strongly critical of the Rwandan government's arming and other support for rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. | Rice has also come under strong criticism over her positions on Africa, most recently for trying to suppress a UN report that was strongly critical of the Rwandan government's arming and other support for rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. |
| As a national security official in the Clinton White House, Rice played a part in the US's failure to act against the 1994 genocide of Rwanda's Tutsis. She has said that was a searing experience and has vowed to push intervention to prevent similar atrocities in the future. But in practice that translated into unswerving support for authoritarian leaders she saw as a bulwark against genocide, even if they too had blood on their hands. | As a national security official in the Clinton White House, Rice played a part in the US's failure to act against the 1994 genocide of Rwanda's Tutsis. She has said that was a searing experience and has vowed to push intervention to prevent similar atrocities in the future. But in practice that translated into unswerving support for authoritarian leaders she saw as a bulwark against genocide, even if they too had blood on their hands. |
| Rice has been an unrelenting supporter of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, who as a Tutsi rebel leader put a stop to the genocide. But that support has continued in the face of a growing body of evidence that his forces are bound up with years of war crimes in Congo that have contributed to millions of deaths. | Rice has been an unrelenting supporter of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, who as a Tutsi rebel leader put a stop to the genocide. But that support has continued in the face of a growing body of evidence that his forces are bound up with years of war crimes in Congo that have contributed to millions of deaths. |
| Foreign Policy magazine reported that Rice was dismissive of UN evidence that Kagame's military was arming a rebel group in Congo, M23, which was led by a man wanted by the international criminal court for war crimes. | Foreign Policy magazine reported that Rice was dismissive of UN evidence that Kagame's military was arming a rebel group in Congo, M23, which was led by a man wanted by the international criminal court for war crimes. |
| "It's eastern Congo. If it were not the M23 killing people it would be some other armed groups," the magazine reported Rice as saying. | "It's eastern Congo. If it were not the M23 killing people it would be some other armed groups," the magazine reported Rice as saying. |
| Rice showed a similar disdain for criticism of authoritarian leaders in Africa. In September she delivered an emotional eulogy for the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, calling him "brilliant", "uncommonly wise, able to see the big picture and the long game" and "a true friend to me". | Rice showed a similar disdain for criticism of authoritarian leaders in Africa. In September she delivered an emotional eulogy for the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, calling him "brilliant", "uncommonly wise, able to see the big picture and the long game" and "a true friend to me". |
| Rice said she sometimes "profoundly disagreed" with Meles – who had a long track record of suppressing democracy, sometimes with bloody results – on some issues, but said he was "consistently reasoned in his judgements". | Rice said she sometimes "profoundly disagreed" with Meles – who had a long track record of suppressing democracy, sometimes with bloody results – on some issues, but said he was "consistently reasoned in his judgements". |
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